Falling to pieces
by purplepagoda
Summary: This fic takes place after the season 5 finale, and is based upon the spoilers that Rory and Lorelai have a big fight and Rory moves into her grandparents pool house. Rory has to deal with life on her own without her mother for the first time.


This story takes place after the end of season 5.

Summer:

Rory and Lorelai are no longer on speaking terms, and Rory is a Yale dropout, and is living at her grandparents' pool house.

July: Logan comes over to talk to Rory.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you to be here today." Rory says as she puts the milk back in the refrigerator.

"Rory we need to talk."

"About what?"

"You should sit down."

"Ok." Rory says as she cautiously sits at a barstool near the island.

"Rory things aren't working for me."

"What do you mean Logan?"

"Rory, I can't do this any more."

"What are you talking about? Do what?"

"Rory I like you, but I just can't be in this relationship anymore."

"Why? Is there another woman? Did I do something wrong."

"No you didn't do anything wrong, but the other woman…. My mother is just making everything to hard."

"We can get through this."

"Rory, I don't want to, I can't anymore, I mean I realize relationships are supposed to have obstacles, but there are just too many for me. Rory I'm not good for you, you dropped out of Yale because of me, you quit talking to your mother because of me, Rory I'm toxic to you. I don't want to do that to you anymore it isn't fair. Rory, I don't want to put you through the hell of my family, and their lives anymore."

"Is that really what this is about? Or are you just tired of me."

"I'm not tired of you, but it isn't working, for either of us."

"I don't believe you, what's really going on?"

"Rory, this is my first serious relationship, but I don't want it to be my last relationship, I need time, Rory I don't want to get married right now."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Rory just let me go."

"Why?"

"Rory, I'm leaving." Logan says as he kisses her on the forehead.

After Logan leaves Rory takes a shower, doesn't bother dressing or drying her hair, she simply slips on a robe, and lies down in her bed. Her head is overwhelmed with though how could he do this, after everything? She just wanted him back, and what about the thing she had neglected to tell him? She slowly drifted of to sleep with the window open listening to the crickets and feeling the warmth of the hot July night. A couple hours later Emily comes into the dark pool house.

"Rory?"

Emily finds Rory sleeping, through the freezing cold rain hitting her through the open window.

Emily closes the window, and wakes Rory.

"Rory get up."

"What? Why?"

"You're soaked, I don't want you to catch a chill."

"I'm dry."

"Rory don't you hear the rain?"

"It's raining?"

"Yes dear, and your window was wide open, why is the bed next to the window any way? And why are you asleep it's only 9:30."

"It is?"

"Yes. Go put some clothes on please."

"Ok." A few minutes later Rory returns.

"Was Logan here earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Rory, tell me the truth, what happened?"

"We broke up."

Rory tells Emily what has happened, and she also tells Emily her little secret. Emily goes into shock at first but then tries to comfort Rory. Rory makes the decision to go back to Yale, but only part time so she can work. Once Mitchum learns of the situation he offers Rory a better job, with more benefits and better pay.

Winter: Lorelai calls Emily.

"Hello?"

"Mom."

"Lorelai?"

"Who else calls you mom?"

"Is something wrong are you ok?"

"Oh, I'm fine, everything is ok, I was just wondering if Rory was there."

"No, she's out doing errands."

"Ok… actually I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come to have dinner with me this weekend."

"Well I don't know Lorelai."

"Please, You can come over Sunday, just for a while, I want to talk to you, there's some stuff I need to tell you."

"Ok, Lorelai what time?"

"7 o'clock."

"Ok, I'll be there."

Sunday:

Emily arrives at Lorelai's and Luke answers the door.

"Hello Luke."

"Hi Emily, go ahead in she's in the kitchen."

"Are you staying?"

"No, I have to go back to the diner."

"Ok."

Luke leaves and Emily walks into the kitchen.

"Lorelai where are you Luke said you were in the kitchen."

"I'm in here."

"Ok." Emily says as she walks into what used to be Rory's room.

"It smells in here Lorelai."

"I just painted,"

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the closet."

"Why?"

"I locked my self in it."

"Do you want me to get you out?"

"Yeah, the key is on the window sill."

"Ok." Emily retrieves the key and lets Lorelai out of the closet.

"I'm glad you were on time." Lorelai says as she walks into the kitchen carrying a box.

"Let me just put this on the porch, go ahead and sit down."

"Lorelai I forgot to ask, did you cook?"

"Oh, no, I may not always get along with you, but I wouldn't want to kill you."

"So who cooked?"

"Luke."

Lorelai puts the meal on the table, and sits down.

"Mom, why didn't you ever teach me to cook?"

"Honestly, I don't know how."

"Oh,"

"You got the not being able to cook gene from me."

"Good to know."

"So Lorelai why did you want me to come out here?"

"I needed to tell you some things … in person."

"Oh."

"So how's Rory?"

"She's fine."

"Good."

"So Lorelai what do you have to tell me?"

"Well… on Christmas Luke and I got married."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? That was almost a month ago."

"I know, but I didn't know how."

"Why didn't I get to come to the wedding?"

"Because we didn't really have a wedding."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean there wasn't a big ceremony, it was just the two of us."

"Please tell me you didn't get married at the court house or in blue jeans."

"No. I got married in a church. We just got married in the preacher's office."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to make it a big deal, I just wanted it to be simple."

"That's understandable."

"So where did all of Rory's stuff go?"

"The garage."

"Don't you park your car in there?"

"No, I never have."

"Oh. Why did you feel that it was necessary to paint the room though?"

"I'm getting to that."

"Getting to what?"

"I wanted to paint it before…"

"Before what?"

"Before I die… I didn't want to be remembered as the woman who never tried to improve her home at all."

"Very funny Lorelai."

"Ok, I'll tell you." Lorelai says as she stands up.

"Lorelai why are you wearing such a big shirt, that really isn't your style at all, your clothes are always too tight."

"I know."

"Oh my lord…"

"What?"

"You're pregnant aren't you?"

"Wow, you're an everyday Nancy Drew."

"So you're pregnant?"

"Uh huh."

For the rest of dinner the two sat in silence. When Emily returns home she neglects to tell Rory and Richard what Lorelai had told her.

A couple weeks later Lorelai calls Rory.

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Who is this?"

"Rory, this is your mother."

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to know if you would want to come to Stars Hollow, and have a piece of pie or something, I would like to talk to you."

"No, I can't."

"Please."

"Fine, I'll come on Saturday around noon."

"Thank you."

"Bye." Rory hung up the phone.

Saturday morning: Rory gets out of the shower puts on her robe, and wipes off the mirror before beginning to wash her face. She looks at herself in the mirror, and realizes she doesn't recognize herself. Her skin is pale, even more than usual, and she has huge black circles under her eyes from not sleeping in months. Even her eyes were different, they no longer sparkled with hope, and determination like they used to. She couldn't go she couldn't face her mother like this… not right now anyway.

After Rory doesn't show up Lorelai starts to wonder, and decides to go over on the following Monday morning. There is no one in the pool house, so she goes over to the house and rings the doorbell. Emily is between maids so she answers the door herself.

"Lorelai what are you doing here?"

"Rory was supposed to come to Stars Hollow on Saturday, and she never showed, she didn't even call so I got worried, is she ok?"

"As far as I know, I saw her this morning at breakfast."

"Oh."

"Since you're here why don't you come in and sit down."

"Ok." Lorelai sits down at her usual spot.

"So what would you like to drink? A gin martini?"

"Now you remember my drink…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't have a martini."

"Sorry I forgot. Would you like a bottle of water?"

"That would be fine."

"I'll be right back I have to go get one."

"Can't you get the maid to do it?"

"No, I'm in between maids right now."

"Oh, well I know where the water is I can go get it."

"Nonsense."

"I don't really want to sit here all alone it's too quiet."

"Well come with me, you can have a piece of pie."

"You made pie?"

"No, I just put it in the oven."

"Ok."

Lorelai follows Emily into the kitchen. Emily goes to the refrigerator and grabs the pie, and a bottle of water. Lorelai notices a picture on the fridge.

"What is that?" Lorelai asks as she points to the picture.

"Rory, she ran out of junk food, and was hungry so she decided to sneak in here at 2 o'clock in the morning. I heard her and thought she was a burglar."

"So you grabbed a camera."

"I thought I could blind him."

"Oh."

"Anyway she turned around just as I came in the kitchen and that is the picture that turned out."

"Wait why would a burglar be in the kitchen?"

"I don't know, I was half asleep it was 2 in the morning."

"I see."

"So are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine."

Lorelai, and Emily talk for a while, and as Lorelai is leaving Richard spots her.

"Lorelai?"

Lorelai turns around.

"HI dad."

"Hi."

"I was just on my way out."

"Ok, well I guess I'll see you around then."

"Ok."

That evening when Rory comes home Emily is waiting for her at the pool house.

"Grandma what are you doing in here?"

"Your mother came here today she was worried about you after you didn't show up Saturday."

"Grandma, I couldn't go."

"You had her worried to death."

"Sorry."

"Rory, when are you going to face her again?"  
"I don't know."

"Are you going to wait until something happens?"

"I don't know."

"Rory the reason you quit talking to each other was because of her feelings toward Logan, but she was right wasn't she?"

"Yes, but I don't want her to say 'I told ya so.'"

"When has your mother ever done that to you in a non-joking manner?"

"Never."

"Exactly, Rory you need to talk to her."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't disappoint her like that."

"You didn't seem to care about that when you dropped out of school, and came to live here instead of with her. Rory can you imagine how much that hurt her? You need to apologize."

"No, not now."

"When? Rory if something happens to you do you want her to find out about what she missed that way?"

"Why are you taking her side on this."

"Because Rory I know what it's like to have your daughter not want to live with you, avoid you, and not tell you what's going on with her, and it hurts."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Well I do."

"What do you want to say about it?"

"Rory look me in the eye and tell me that you don't go to sleep at night and think about your mother."

"I don't, I don't sleep anymore, and I'm too busy thinking about other things."

"Rory what are you going to do in the spring? Who's going to help you? Your grandfather and I can't we're too old, we can't get up at 3 in the morning, Rory don't you want your mother to know?"

"No, it's not any of her business, besides she doesn't know me anymore."

"Rory, she knows you best, better than you know yourself, she knows what makes you tick, she created you, she should know you best she had you inside of her for 9 months."

"No grandma."

"Fine, I'm done talking."

"Grandma don't you dare tell her."

"I'm not going to it's up to you."

Rory lie bed that night and thought about all the things her grandmother said, she was right, but there was no way she could confront her mother, not in the condition she was in, mentally, and physically. Emotionally she felt almost empty she didn't understand herself anymore. She would look in the mirror and she didn't know who was looking back at her anymore. She was broken she wasn't the same college had changed her she thought, but then she realized she had changed her, not being with her mother everyday trying to guide her had made her change. The old Rory Gilmore wouldn't have let a guy break up her relationship with her mother. She didn't know who she was anymore, her mother wasn't there to pick up the pieces, she was alone she had to do it on her own, but it was her own fault, she was he one that had pushed Lorelai away. How was she supposed to do this she was so unstable… emotionally, and financially. How could she do that to her self, or better yet another person, she shouldn't have to, but she was going to.

_A/N: I know I didn't directly say what Rory's little secret was, but I think you guys can figure it out, it's really obvious, sorry I didn't come out and say what it was like I usually do but I wanted to try something new to see how it worked out, I personally like it better, but you should be the judge. Also any opinions or suggestions are greatly appreciated, as long as they aren't nasty. i.e. if you wouldn't say it to your mother don't say it to me._


End file.
